Bisla’s Sports Bar closing Sunday

Last call is coming soon to Bisla’s Sports Bar, a popular watering hole on Folsom Boulevard.

Owners Ray Lettini and Gino Sardo announced Monday that Bisla’s will shut down indefinitely at midnight Sunday. The closure comes almost a full year after they purchased the sports bar from Balwant “Bob” Bisla, whose family opened it in 2009. In March, Bisla died at age 42.

Out of respect for Bisla and his close relationship with customers, the partners maintained the Bisla’s name for the remainder of 2013.

“We knew that the name was important to Bob,” Sardo said. “Ray and I wanted to finish out the 2013 year without any drastic changes. It was a way of showing our respects to the loyal patrons and followers that supported Bisla’s over the years.”

Located at 7042 Folsom Blvd., Bisla’s was popular with students from nearby California State University, Sacramento. But it also drew a devoted crowd of San Francisco Giants and 49ers fans who came to watch their favorite teams while munching on sliders or tacos. Bisla’s was voted Sacramento’s top sports bar for 2012 in KCRA’s A List.

“It is not an easy decision to close a bar that we have worked very hard in the past months to maintain,” Sardo said. “We thank our staff for their hard work and dedication, as well as the Sacramento community for their continued support over the course of this year.”

This doesn’t mean the end of a food or drinking establishment at Bisla’s location. The partners will hold onto the building while preparing for their next step, said spokesman Tim Harris. “It’s still in the planning stages.”